


Telling the Truth

by Evil_Little_Dog



Series: College Life [3]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Friendship/Love, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-29
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-10 22:19:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2042355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: After his encounter with Psiren and Lust, Ed knows he needs to tell Winry what happened.<br/>Disclaimer: College A.U. isn't mine, characters aren't mine, not making money, etc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telling the Truth

Finding a quiet place on campus was damned difficult, but Edward had scouted out likely areas prior to Homecoming Week, taking into account the other students would be looking for quiet places, too. His favorite place to hide out, in the rotunda windows, would be completely booked solid, but it was never very quiet there. The offering of a great view of the campus, not to mention a place to watch the comings and goings of other students, proved a big draw. His room in the frat house was off-limits, since he knew if he took Winry there, the idiots in the frat would bang on the door or just rush in, trying to catch them at something. And while he wouldn’t mind being caught, Winry would likely brain someone – starting with him – then leave. And he didn’t want that to happen. There was always the old man’s place, where he had a room, but that also meant dealing with Hohenheim and Alphonse, and Edward really didn’t want to have this conversation with anyone listening in. 

Fortunately, there were some places down in the library stacks where no one ever went, or at least, no one went during Homecoming Week, and that’s where they wound up going. Winry was impressed by the sheer volume of books, if not the subject matter – she complained briefly about the automail section, only slightly mollified by finding both her grandmother’s and great-grandfather’s works on the subject sitting on the shelf. Edward had to guide her downstairs two flights, where a tiny table sat with a couple of chairs under a window. Once Winry was situated, and Edward scouted around twice to make sure no one was in listening distance, he settled down across from her. 

Alphonse, Winry, and he had grown up together back in Risembool, as close as ‘peas in a pod’, Pinako Rockbell liked to say. Despite Hohenheim taking a teaching job here at Faber College, and Edward and Alphonse enrolling at ages that should’ve put them in high school rather than on a university campus, there were still a lot of ties to Risembool. Mom was buried there, and they owned a house right down the road from the Rockbells. And Winry was there. For Edward, that made all the difference. He liked attending school here, and being part of the fraternity, but it wasn’t home, and home was a little sheep-farming community on the eastern edge of Amestris. At least it was only a couple of days riding a train away, though some times, it seemed as far away as the moon. 

While Edward settled into his chair, Winry cocked her head, the corner of her mouth turning down. “What is it? I mean, if you wanted sex…this wouldn’t be where you’d take me.” 

“What? Sex?” Edward squawked, realized how his voice could carry, and toned it down to say, “That’s not what I asked you here for!”

Winry sighed prettily, and Edward was hard-pressed to not stare at her boobs. Her crossing her arms over them effectively derailed his train of thought. “Okay, then what?” When Edward chewed over what to say, and how to say it, she leaned over the table, grabbing his hands. “I know something’s wrong, Ed. Even if you haven’t said anything.” 

She always seemed to know, even back when they were kids. Taking the time to exhale, Edward stared at their hands, turning his so he could clasp hers. Her palms and fingers were callused all over from her automail studies. His own were hard, and he bore calluses from martial arts training and the pen he used for notations. “A month ago,” he said slowly, “a couple of female students here decided they wanted to have some fun with me.” Glancing up at Winry through his bangs, Edward wished he didn’t have to tell her, but it was something she needed to know. “I was stupid, thought I could handle it, but they put something in my drink. The next thing I knew, I woke up naked in a woman’s dorm room.” 

Her expression changing from curious to thunderous, Winry squeezed his fingers. With steel in her voice, she asked, “What happened?” 

Edward shrugged. “I really don’t know. I don’t!” he added as Winry seemed about to protest. “Someone…had some…fun.” He nearly spat out the last word. “I don’t think it was me.” Thinking of the photographs on the card he’d taken from the camera, Edward couldn’t remember any showing where he’d been erect. In most of the pictures, he’d looked dazed, confused, or sick, while Lust and Psiren posed around him in positions that’d make _Hustler_ models proud. 

Not that he read _Hustler._ But Havoc liked to show off certain photos. 

“Did you,” Winry caught her lower lip between her teeth. “Did you tell anyone?” 

“Word got out around campus, somehow.” Letting go of one of her hands, Edward slumped back in his chair. He ran his hand over his bangs, making them stand straight up until gravity pulled most of his hair back down again. “It still didn’t get…far.” He looked at Winry, then back at her hands. “Dad knows.” 

Her voice sounded weird when she asked, “Does Al?” 

“Hell, no. Unless someone told him. I didn’t.” He waved his free hand like he was erasing the idea. “But I wanted to tell you.” Wrapping both of her hands around his, Winry waited until Edward turned to her again. She offered a lopsided smile. Edward faltered, but managed to return it. “I, uh. I’ve been tested. I didn’t…get anything from them.” He hated how hot his cheeks felt. 

“Ed.” 

She wasn’t freaking out, or clobbering him. Or threatening to clobber Lust and Psiren. That was a good thing, right? Why didn’t it feel like a good thing? Why was there an iceberg in his stomach, threatening to turn into a hurricane? “Yeah?” 

“Your dad knows, but did you go to the police?” Winry had this way of asking the hard questions gently, reasonably, so, for a second, Edward almost thought he should hop right up and do that. 

Instead, he reached back across the table, laying his hand on hers. “I don’t remember what happened,” he said softly. “Yeah, they probably slipped me something, or someone they knew did.” Because otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone anywhere with either of them. “But I don’t remember.” And the age of consent being sixteen, the photocard he had wouldn’t really do much to prove his case. It’d show him looking sick, but neither Lust nor Psiren actually _touched_ any part of his body – on camera – that would get them into trouble. Them all being naked was one thing, yeah, but probably not enough to prosecute anyone. “It’d be a ‘he said, she said’ argument. And I didn’t…take action fast enough. It’s been over a month, and I’ve had a lot of showers since then, and my clothes washed a few times.” Edward grimaced. “I know I should’ve gone to someone, but…”

“But?” 

“But they were trying to hurt Dad’s reputation more than anything. I stole the card out of their camera before they uploaded the pictures anywhere.” Edward also made damned sure to check both computers in the room before leaving with the chip. Why they thought leaving _him_ alone with computers and the camera was still beyond Edward, but the Sins, as they were known around campus, just didn’t seem that bright. As it was, he’d taken the time to wipe the laptops back to factory settings, then put all the refrigerator magnets on top of them in hopes of ruining the machines. The telling thing was no one from the Sins had tried to start anything with him since then. They were still after Mustang and Hughes, sure, but those idiots tried to help after Edward had already gotten himself out of the fix. 

“They tried to hurt you, too,” Winry said, frowning. “It’s an assault, Ed, even if you don’t remember anything! They drugged you and took you someplace, tried to have sex with you, and took pictures. You really should tell someone. It needs to be investigated. Otherwise, they might try it again, with someone else.” With Alphonse, she didn’t have to say, but the implications were there. Except Alphonse probably would’ve noticed an unusual taste in his drink. “I’ll go with you.” 

She always stood by him when things were at their worst, why should this be any different? “Winry,” Edward mumbled, knowing she wouldn’t back down. Knowing she was, ultimately, right. He sighed, defeated. “This is not what I wanted to do over Homecoming Weekend.” 

From her smile, Winry realized he’d talk to campus security by his aggravated sigh. “Afterward, I’ll treat you to something good.” 

Edward raised an eyebrow at her. “Something good, meaning I’ll like it, or something good, meaning you’ll like it, and I’ll go along because it’s been so long since I’ve seen you?” 

As she pushed back her chair, Winry giggled. “Guess you’ll have to find out, won’t you?” 

Snorting, Edward said, “You’d better make it really good, then.” He rose to his feet, offering her his hand. Winry took it, tugging him close enough so she could kiss him. She had this way of kissing that blew all the fight right out of him, leaving Edward feeling like a gooshy piece of marshmallow fluff, all sweet and dumb and willing to do whatever Winry wanted him to. “Is that blackmail?” he asked, when he could actually speak words again. 

“No, it’s a down payment.” Winry hugged his arm as they started climbing the staircase. “You’ll get the rest later.”

Edward kissed her temple, inhaling her sweet scent and holding his breath for a second. “All right, but we have to stop by the frat house first.” The cops might want to see the pictures on the card. He’d have to ask Winry to leave the room when he gave them the card, though. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need to worry about taking care of Psiren and Lust. 

Winry would do it for them.


End file.
